Trump rejects Iran’s response to new US proposal

Washington: US President Donald Trump sharply rejected Iran’s response to a new US proposal aimed at ending the conflict in the Gulf region, calling Tehran’s position “TOTALLY UNACCEPTABLE” as tensions continued around the Strait of Hormuz.

“I have just read the response from Iran’s so-called ‘Representatives.’ I don’t like it — TOTALLY UNACCEPTABLE! Thank you for your attention to this matter,” Trump said in a post on Truth Social.

The remarks came hours after Iran, through Pakistani mediators, sent its response to a US-backed peace framework intended to stabilise the region after weeks of military confrontation and maritime disruptions.

Pakistani Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif confirmed that Tehran had conveyed a response but declined to discuss details. “I can’t go into more details,” he said.

Iranian state media said Tehran’s reply focused “exclusively on the cessation of hostilities around the region.” Other Iranian outlets reported that Tehran demanded an official end to the war, reopening of the Strait of Hormuz, withdrawal of naval vessels enforcing a US blockade, lifting of sanctions, and an additional 30 days of negotiations.

Iran also reportedly proposed that discussions on its nuclear programme be handled separately in future negotiations.

Trump later accused Iran of “playing games with the United States” and warned that “They will be laughing no longer!”

The Iranian response came after the Trump administration sent a 14-point proposal last week through mediators. The framework reportedly included demands tied to Tehran’s nuclear activities and regional security commitments, media reports said.

The diplomatic exchanges unfolded as military tensions continued in and around the Strait of Hormuz, a critical global energy route.

According to reports, Iran attacked three US naval destroyers on Thursday after accusing them of entering waters over which Tehran claims control. Iran said it used ballistic missiles, cruise missiles and drones and claimed the attacks caused “serious damage.”

The United States denied the claim. US officials said the destroyers sailed away unharmed.

The confrontation followed US strikes on two Iranian-flagged tankers that American officials said were attempting to breach a naval blockade near the Gulf of Oman.

The US military later struck targets on Qeshm Island and near Bandar Abbas along Iran’s southern coast.

Regional tensions also spread beyond Iran’s shores. Qatar’s defence ministry said Sunday that a commercial cargo vessel travelling from Abu Dhabi was hit by a drone off the coast of Doha, causing a small fire.

On Saturday, Rubio and White House Middle East envoy Steve Witkoff met Qatari Prime Minister Mohammed bin Abdulrahman Al Thani to discuss efforts to end the conflict.

According to a statement from the Qatari side, the talks included Pakistani mediation efforts “aimed at reducing escalation that contributes to enhancing security and stability in the region.”

The State Department later said Rubio and the Qatari leadership discussed “the importance of continued close coordination to deter threats and promote stability and security across the Middle East.”

Speaking on ABC News on Sunday, US Ambassador to the United Nations Mike Waltz said negotiations were moving “longer and slower” because Iran’s “leadership has been so devastated and fractured.”

On the continuing tensions in the Strait of Hormuz, Waltz said: “That’s why we’re pushing now another U.N. resolution that says Iran cannot do this. No country can do what Iran is doing in international waterways.”

IANS